Church of the Home for Saturday, July 1

Fourth of July: Honoring America

“For you were called to freedom,

brothers and sisters;

only do not use your freedom

as an opportunity for self-indulgence,

rather, serve one another through love."

Galatians 5:13

Happy Fourth of July! As we celebrate America's Independence, we are called to be mindful of the gifts of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

St. Thomas Aquinas taught that love for one's country is a virtue, the same kind of virtue as love for one’s parents. He states we are to "give honor and devotion to one's parents and one's country." St. Thomas explains that we first receive our existence from God, and secondarily from our parents and our country. From our parents, we receive life and nourishment, but they could never give us these things if we had not been born into a community and a nation that created a society in which we can be raised and educated. While we can never fully repay our country for all it has given us, we can strive to live out the gratitude we owe in our celebration of our Independence Day.

As we honor America this year, there are several things your Church of the Home can do to honor our country:

Go to Mass and pray for our country, its leaders, and its people - past, present, and future
Visit a local historic site, such as Heritage Hill or Hazelwood, and learn about the history of your area
Show reverence toward the land itself; pray for the protection of the natural beauty of our country and prudent use of our natural resources; take time to encounter the beauty of God in nature by visiting a park — even seek out a state park, national park or national monument
Learn about and tell stories of the Native Americans who lived here first
Research or share stories of how your family came to America

Join us for Mass this weekend in person at 4:00 PM on Saturday, 8:30 or 10:30 AM on Sunday, on www.gbres.org/live, our YouTube channel, and our Facebook page.

READINGS FOR THIS WEEKEND’S MASSES

Sunday Readings

Scripture Reflection by Roger Vanden Busch

Sunday Connection from Loyola Press

VIRTUALLY SUNDAY REFLECTION

Receiving. A concept of greeting and welcoming. How do we receive others we meet? Do those we meet gain a sense of great hospitality? The Rule of St. Benedict guides and encourages us to welcome all people as Christ, regardless of who they are, where they come from, or what they believe. Join Tony as he reflects on this weekend's scripture readings.